The Roles We Play
by silentpoints
Summary: Ino has long since accepted that her role is helping Sakura blossom into an amazing kunoichi, and then allowing Sasuke to have her. Nonetheless, Ino finds that letting go is insanely tough, and all the pent-up grief leads to one drunken night, where she finally decides to stop reading the script—if only momentarily. InoSaku. Canon-compliant.


**Full Summary:** There are certain roles humans have to play in life. Ino has long since accepted that her part, in the grand scheme of things, revolves around helping her childhood friend, Sakura, blossom into an amazing woman and kunoichi, before allowing Sasuke to have her.

Nonetheless, Ino finds that letting go is insanely tough, and all the pent-up grief leads to one drunken night, where she finally decides to stop reading the script—if only momentarily.

**Initial Notes: **This one-shot is kind of really, really bittersweet. Although the main focus is Ino/Sakura, canon couples are heavily, heavily implied. Furthermore, suicidal thoughts are also not-so-vaguely referenced, so please do not read if that makes you uncomfortable. It's not discussed in great detail, but still worth the warning.

Hope you enjoy! :)

* * *

❝ Maybe they really were breathing in sync.

If they'd been a man and a woman, they might very well have fallen in love. Maybe tiny hearts would've been popping and flailing around them. ❞

—Konoha Hiden

* * *

Ino is merely five-years-old, and like most children her age, she has a certain youthful naivety to her face; her smile is just so genuinely sweet, and naturally, she never finds herself worrying about the darker things in life, because she hasn't had to experience them yet.

She's in the flower shop her family runs, sniffing a bouquet her mother prepared, admiration shining in her colored irises. The flowers are so pretty, she thinks, with their pink petals and green leaves—

Then, out of nowhere, a customer swoops in and grabs the bouquet from the vase in front of her. The man then pays her mother for the plant, taking a quick glance at Ino from his peripheral vision, before walking out of the shop.

Ino's ready to scream, because her mother spent so much time growing those flowers and preparing them to look their best; to be their best. However, then that man suddenly waltzes in, and within seconds, all her hard work is gone!

Her father, Inoichi, who is sitting in the corner of the shop and reading a thick book called _The Necessity of War_, raises his eyebrows.

"What's wrong, Ino?" her father questions. He's probably concerned by the angry aura abruptly surrounding his daughter.

"Those flowers… Kaa-chan worked so hard to help them grow!" Ino explains, crossing her arms childishly. "So why does she have to give them away to someone else?!"

Her father doesn't say anything for a moment, putting his thinking-face on, before speaking:

"But that's your mother's job as a worker in a flower shop, Ino. There are certain roles we, as people, have to play; her role is to help a flower blossom, and then give it up to someone else."

* * *

Ino is seven-years-old when she visits Sakura's house for the first time. The blonde girl is a little bit older, and a little bit harder now. After all, defending her friend from all those bullies had given her thicker skin.

(The Academy had also toughened her up. Although she and her colleagues were still children at heart, ultimately, in the end they had been taught the most efficient way to slash a person's throat, ensuring that the vocal cords would be sliced in the perfect way, preventing the target from screaming.)

In Sakura's bedroom, Ino's helping the girl prepare for their next test at the Academy. In their shared kunoichi class, they're learning how to dance with a boy. Frankly, she thinks that her pink-haired friend can't dance for the life of her.

Sakura's playing the role of the girl, and Ino's pretending to be the boy. Sakura has her hands on her partner's shoulders, and she's wrapped comfortably in gentle arms placed around her waist. Ino can't help but chuckle not-so-subtly because she has to catch her friend as she trips on her own feet.

Sakura pulls out of her friend's embrace, hugging herself self-consciously. "I can't dance, Ino-chan," she pouts cutely, still uncomfortable in her own skin, even after gaining a bit of confidence from the red bow she was gifted.

"I noticed," Ino deadpans. She proceeds to sigh in an exaggerated manner. "Let's try again. But this time, let's _really_ get into our roles. Try to pretend that… I don't know… That I'm some boy you like. Got it?"

The other girl nods unsurely.

Ino doesn't quite understand what gets into her, but she reaches out to grab Sakura's hand, who lets her do what she wishes timidly.

The blonde smiles and bows angularly, placing a light, innocent kiss on the back of Sakura's palm, pretending that her pink-haired classmate is the princess and that Ino is the prince—or also a princess—or something like that.

"Would you like to dance, my lady?" Ino inquires, deepening her voice comically.

Sakura giggles, a light blush dusting her cheeks at the absurdity of the situation. "Sure," she replies, playing along.

Together, they dance again, and in the end, they're so in sync that Ino can't tell where one ends, and where the other begins. Perhaps their breathing and the beating of their hearts is also in sync, she thinks to herself.

(Sakura gets full marks on their test the following day, and Ino recalls her own words: _"You might end up being an even prettier flower than a cosmos!"_

A selfish part of her hopes that she had been wrong, and that Sakura never blooms, because she doesn't want to give her friend up to someone else.)

* * *

Ino is twelve-years-old when Oto and Suna attack during her first Chunin Selection Exam. When she initially wakes up in the stadium from the mass-illusion, where she had been sitting with Sakura next to her only hours ago, the first thing she sees are fallen shinobi all around her, and blood _everywhere_.

She's recruited to aid in the aftermath, but she doesn't help right away, instead asking Asuma, "Where's Shikamaru?! And Sakura?! Are they okay?!"

"They're fine," he reassures her calmly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "They're in the hospital with minor injuries, but they'll be okay."

Ino nods, sighing with relief, before proceeding to help look for survivors under fallen buildings with Chōji. It is a specific task that's too simple for the skills of a chunin, but appropriate for that of a genin.

This is especially true when a member of the search and rescue team is a part of the Akimichi clan. Chōji lifts the buildings using his clan techniques, and Ino brings her fingers to the pulse-points of the victims underneath the rubble, to see if they're responsive.

She finds some people alive, and some people… well… not so alive.

It's the early morning when the Council of Elders give Konoha's shinobi instructions for the next few days. After the speech, all genin her age are released temporarily from their duties, and the higher-ranked individuals and adults begin to enter a rotating rest schedule.

The first thing Ino does is check in with her mother and father, making sure that they're alright, because she wouldn't know what to do if they weren't. Then, she goes to the hospital to check in on Shikamaru and Sakura, with Chōji right next to her.

It turns out that Shikamaru has already been discharged, sustaining some contusions and suffering from non-lethal chakra depletion. Chōji and her part ways then, because he still insists on being by his best friend's side.

Ino does the same, going to _her_ best friend's hospital room.

Sakura is still in a state of unconsciousness, apparently from fighting Gaara. But the nurse promises that she'll wake up in a day or so. Ino stares at the girl, who is dressed in a white hospital gown, and she snarkily thinks that white is the only color that doesn't clash with her hair—

Ino suddenly remembers the pure dread and fear that had filled her up when she had awoken from the genjutsu, without Sakura being near her. In that moment, she could only think of the worst case-scenario.

Pursing her lips, Ino leans in and removes the fallen bangs from her friend-slash-rival's face. Once again, Ino doesn't quite understand why she does it, but she places a kiss Sakura's forehead as she sleeps, as if trying to say, _I was so worried, but I'm glad you're safe._

"Heh," she snickers privately. "Her forehead really is a huge target."

_("You've bloomed into a beautiful flower,"_ Ino had said after their fight in the preliminaries. At that point, the girl had tried to accept that she had helped Sakura blossom, and would soon have to give her up to someone else, for good.

But something with that statement feels so very _wrong_, and she doesn't understand why it feels so wrong.)

* * *

Ino is fifteen-years-old when she and her comrades become chunin. The day after their promotion, when she and Sakura reunite to continue their studies under Tsunade, the duo are absolutely _ecstatic_.

However, she is certainly not in the mood to ruffle through gigantic medical textbooks all day, and apparently, neither is Sakura. Instead, she and her childhood friend spend hours chattering about inconsequential topics, such as how Temari and Shikamaru have been spending a lot of time together lately. They talk casually in the Hokage's office, which is empty because Tsunade is stationed at the Mission Assignment Desk for the morning.

Then, out of nowhere, the pink-haired girl suddenly gets a brilliant idea.

"Ino-pig," she calls out.

"What, Forehead?"

"I know where Shishō hides her sake."

There's this rebellious look in Sakura's eyes that Ino can't get enough of. It's an expression she rarely sees; it's one of those few moments where the girl is open enough to show her true feelings of delinquency, discarding her good-girl façade.

Adrenaline courses through Ino's veins at the thought of underage drinking—which can't be that much of a crime, she reasons, because _old enough to kill, old enough to drink,_ right?

At first, she gags at the taste of the bitter liquid on her tongue. It burns the back of her throat, and she can't get through more than a few ships without wanting to vomit.

But then Sakura intentionally provokes her.

"You're not actually supposed to taste it, you dumb pig," she remarks, grabbing the bottle from the blonde's hand, and downing one-quarter of it in a single, prolonged gulp.

Ino narrows her eyes, before reclaiming the bottle and following in suite, because damn it she isn't going to lose to her rival in anything!

Another hour passes, and everything gets a bit fuzzy after that. All she knows is that her friend's lame puns get funnier and funnier after every sip. Even Ino becomes a comedian in her state of intoxication, expelling jokes about how Sasuke and Naruto were probably dating behind Sakura's back when Team 7 had been whole, and that Sasuke left because they had a bad breakup.

Unexpectedly, Sakura promptly bursts out laughing, falling onto the floor, saying something like:_ "God, that actually makes so much sense!"_

She doesn't stop her high-pitched cackling for ten minutes, and at the sight of her face turning bright red from said cackling, Ino also laughs until her stomach hurts.

At some point, she somehow finds herself voluntarily embracing Sakura, saying, "You're a great friend for finding us that sake. I totally owe you one."

The pink-haired girl giggles, and Ino buries her face into the crook of her neck. She's warm, soft, and smells so much like her namesake that it's almost absurd. Ino places her lips on her neck lovingly, producing a comical kissing noise so it wouldn't be seen as weird—just goofy, teenage antics—and Sakura chortles—

The door swings open, and Tsunade is standing on the other side, positively furious. Ino immediately untangles herself from her friend, utterly terrified.

"You two drank my sake?" the woman questions, but it isn't really a question, because the evidence is all around them in empty bottles. If steam begins to pour out of Tsunade's ears at this point, Ino really won't be surprised.

Sakura grabs her rival's hand. "Run," she says simply, and the duo bolt.

(Of course, Tsunade catches them, and proceeds to spit a lot of angry words, demolish nearby walls, and place them on a week of night-time shifts in the hospital. Still totally worth it, though, in Ino's opinion.)

* * *

The next time Ino dares to shuffle through Tsunade's alcohol cabinet, it's after Asuma's death. Sakura joins her as she looks for relief; although it's clear that the pink-haired girl doesn't understand what Ino is going through, and she clearly feels awkward about the situation, she tries to ease a bit of her inevitable pain in whatever way possible—even though all she can offer is company.

When Tsunade walks in on them being all gloomy and drunk, they both tense up. However, the woman simply joins them this time.

* * *

Their final underage drinking escapade takes place months after Pain's invasion and the Five Kage Summit attack. Ino and Sakura have both seen their village fall to rubble and the people around them enter a temporary state of death; Tsunade is still in her coma; Sasuke has completely fallen into darkness.

Everything sucks, but at least Ino has Sakura.

* * *

Ino is seventeen-years-old when the Infinite Tsukuyomi is released.

Seconds turn into minutes, and happiness fills her because _the war is over!_ But then she thinks back to her Infinite Tsukuyomi dream, which felt so, so real, and remembers that her father is _dead_.

She vaguely wonders if Sakura is dead, too, because unlike Chōji and Shikamaru, she can't find the pink-haired girl anywhere. She gets this sense of déjà vu, because once again, she has woken up from a genjutsu, only to worry for Sakura's wellbeing.

At some point, she sees Naruto and Sasuke make their way towards the group, both bloodied and missing an arm. But nonetheless, Naruto's grin stretches for miles, and Sasuke's smile is just so genuinely sweet, as if he's a naive child again.

Ino's happy to see them alive, but then she notices Sakura and Kakashi behind the duo, and she completely forgets about the fact that they exist.

Sakura's eyes widen. They're red from crying, but she doesn't bring up what happened before the mass-illusion was released. Instead, immediately, she runs to Ino, hugging the other girl tightly.

Limply, the blonde leans into the embrace.

"Pig… your father… I-I'm so, so sorry—"

"It's okay," Ino cuts in, even though really, it isn't okay. "I was so worried, but I'm glad you're safe."

Then, Ino pecks Sakura on the cheek, because she had truly, sincerely, and earnestly been so, so worried. And that's exactly what it looks like to outsiders; merely a relieved _friend_ who was worried.

* * *

Ino doesn't dwell on her father's death after that. She tells herself it's because there isn't any time. With working non-stop at the hospital and accepting shinobi missions, combined with now being left in charge of the sensory division, she's super preoccupied.

The shop is also particularly busy, because business apparently booms the most when thousands of deaths have recently taken place, and people need flowers to put on the graves of their loved ones.

All in all, there really isn't much time for the painful grieving she needs to do.

* * *

It's in September, nearly one year after the war, when Sakura mentions that Ino's birthday is coming up.

Ino nods, but says she has no plans, because coincidentally, on that day, the dinner marking the official initiation of the Children's Mental Health Clinic is taking place. The clinic is a program she herself had helped Sakura build.

She knows that the dinner is a big deal for Sakura, because Sasuke, who has recently been pardoned for his crimes, will also be making a brief appearance before he leaves for his travels the following day. Thus, Ino insists that Sakura doesn't buy her a birthday gift, and that she should instead spend that money on a new dress for the event.

* * *

Ino turns eighteen-years-old on the 23rd of September, and it finally hits her; her father is dead, and he's never going to spend another birthday with her again.

Nonetheless, she tells herself that she's strong. During the dinner celebrating the Mental Health Clinic, she eats politely, making small talk with her comrades. The one she talks to the most throughout the ordeal is Sai, who happens to be sitting next to her. He calls her 'Beautiful' whenever he refers to her, and Ino will blushingly admit that the romantic nickname totally flusters her.

Then, after a few hours of public appearances, an after-party occurs at Sakura's place, and all of their friends show up. At first, the blonde stands on the sidelines, in a manner that is wholly unusual for Ino Yamanaka, who's supposed to be loud and extroverted and the life of the party.

Sakura is hovering near an awkward Sasuke (who is next to Naruto, as per always). The pink-haired kunoichi meets Ino's gaze, before proceeding to apologize to her two teammates and abruptly makes her way to her blonde rival's location.

"Hey!" the medic greets with too-much-enthusiasm. Her hair is longer, and she's cut them in cute, fresh bangs in preparation for this event; in preparation for seeing Sasuke outside of a jail cell.

She's also wearing a tight, white dress that Ino had helped her pick. She made the correct choice, apparently, because Ino can see from behind her friend's shoulder as Sasuke's eyes wander south slightly.

"You look great!" Sakura compliments, referring to Ino's light blue dress.

Does she really? It's something Ino can't help but wonder, because she certainly feels like crap, so she must look like crap, too.

Nonetheless, Ino takes the compliment.

"Thanks," she replies blandly.

Sakura frowns, and Ino knows that she's worried. The pink-haired kunoichi can probably sense that her childhood friend is down in the dumps—everybody with any emotional sensibility can probably sense it, actually. But really, in that moment, Ino doesn't care, because her father is _dead_, and he _isn't coming back_.

She also realizes that her friend-slash-rival can't possibly begin to even phantom what she's going through, and feels awkward about the situation, because she can't understand what it's like to lose a parent. Nonetheless, Sakura actively tries to offer her company, and even though Sasuke is _right there_, at the tip of her fingers, she _chooses_ to come to her rival's side.

That fact sends a warm feeling through Ino's heart.

Sakura suddenly gets that rebellious look in her eyes, and Ino blinks at the abruptness.

"Ino-pig," she calls out.

"What, Forehead?"

"I think it's about time that we share our first legal drink, no?"

Adrenaline courses through Ino's veins, and that's how they find themselves downing shot after shot, aiming to get completely wasted. Every refill seems like a better idea than the last, and before they know it, they're laughing uncontrollably at each other's lame dad-jokes, and Ino has to lean on the wall behind her for support because her friend's puns are simply so bad, that they're good.

Everybody around them is staring at their foolish antics, but she doesn't care. At some point, Shikamaru tries to intervene and tells her that she's drank enough, but Ino doesn't want to hear it, instead retaliating by drinking more.

Her surroundings are a little hazy when Sakura grabs her hand and bows angularly, planting an innocent kiss on the back of her palm. "Would you like to dance, my lady?" Sakura inquires, deepening her voice hilariously.

Ino giggles, too drunk and feeling too nostalgic, noting that for tonight, their roles have been reversed. "Sure," she replies, playing along, even though there's no music in the background.

Together, they dance. She plays the role of the girl, and Sakura pretends to be the boy. Ino has her hands on her partner's shoulders, and she's wrapped comfortably in gentle arms placed around her waist. At some point they're so in sync that Ino can't tell where one ends, and where the other begins. Perhaps their breathing and the beating of their hearts is also in sync—

"Forehead," Ino slurs suddenly, and the nostalgia is almost painful. She trips on her own feet because she's just so amazingly drunk, and her friend has to catch her.

"Hm?"

"You should spend time with Sasuke-kun, before he leaves tomorrow on his journey-of-redemption-thing. You shouldn't be spending so much time with me…"

Sakura looks at her from behind pink bangs, furrowing her thin eyebrows. "I…" she begins, before shaking her head. "Tonight is about celebrating the launch of the Mental Health Clinic, and the clinic is something I couldn't have started without your help, Ino," she murmurs confidently, as if it's a logical reason that justifies her forgetting about the boy she spent the entirety of her teenage years chasing, especially when he's _right there_.

Then, after a pause, in what's almost a whisper, she continues:

"Also, it's your eighteenth birthday. What kind of friend would I be if I left you alone?"

Ino blinks, and then out of nowhere, tears begin to drip down her cheeks. At first, it's the pretty kind of crying that she's good at doing, and she thinks about how her friend has shown love so bluntly and honestly to her; like a bush clover.

Then, as she thinks about the bush clover her father had taught her to be, her weeping turns ugly, and brick by brick, the walls she's built around the topic of her father come falling down, and she falls with them. Her father… he's _dead_, and he's _never coming back_, and he will never see her turn into an adult.

"Ino," Sakura mutters with concern, suddenly realizing that her friend is sobbing. "Ino—what just happened—I mean, what's wrong…?"

She bawls harder, and at that point, people begin to stare. From her blurry vision, she can see Shikamaru and Chōji watching in worry, contemplating whether they should interfere; Naruto and Hinata are stealing glances uncomfortably; Sai and Sasuke are gazing in their direction curiously, as if analyzing both girls.

"God, I'm pathetic," Ino manages to get out, embarrassed at all the attention on her when she's at her weakest. "I... I'm going to lay down somewhere..."

She begins to walk to find somewhere private, swaying left and right on her feet, only to nearly fall over. However, of course Sakura catches her, because even when everything sucks, Sakura is right there, supporting her with her mere presence.

The pink-haired girl—no, woman—suddenly uses her strength and hoists Ino up on to her shoulder, while simultaneously using some chakra control trick to flush the alcohol out of her own system. Suddenly, Sakura is sober, and Ino is… well… not so sober.

"P-Put me down!" Ino protests.

"No."

"You're such a brute!"

"Okay."

"An _idiot_ with brute strength! It's strength that no true _feminine_ woman can possess, you stupid Forehead-_Man_!"

"Okay."

"I'm not so pathetic, that I need you to carry me, y'know!"

"Sure."

Before Ino realizes it, she begins to wail more. Her insults turn into apologies as they go up the stairs to Sakura's bedroom.

"I'm sorry I'm drunk."

"Ino..."

"I'm sorry I'm a mess."

"It's okay..."

"I'm sorry that you have to carry me."

"Really, it's okay."

"I'm sorry I'm getting snot all over your dress."

"Ew! Stop—"

"I'm sorry I'm alive."

Silence falls in the room. It transcends through time, as if not a single sound had ever existed, exists, or will ever exist. She feels her friend trembling slightly from under her, but in demonstration of her emotional growth, Sakura manages to still herself as she roughly drops Ino on to the bed.

Pause.

"How…?" Sakura starts, before shaking her head.

Then, her face turns red, displaying the rage she's inherited from Tsunade.

"You're s-such a hypocrite!" she stammers loudly, pointing an accusatory finger at Ino. "How…? I mean, we run a _mental health clinic_ for god's sake, and yet you hide _this_ from me! You dumb, idiotic, stupid pig!"

It takes a moment for Ino to process that tears are streaming down Sakura's cheeks, and her breaths are all gaspy and strained. Nonetheless, she continues:

"I mean, just how many years have we spent together? I think everything you think, and yet I missed this? God, if only I wasn't wrapped up in all this clinic stuff, I would have noticed—"

"Shut up, Forehead," Ino mumbles, because she doesn't know how to explain that everything _sucks_, and that her father, who, despite all his annoying father-like tendencies, is _dead_, and he _isn't coming back_.

She swallows, thinking about how ironic it is that a girl coming from a family specializing in the human brain is casually suicidal.

"I just…" Ino starts, before sobbing again, "I don't want to die… I just want to see my father…"

Sakura abruptly hugs her, and the hug is just so Sakura-like, that it's almost absurd; the embrace is too tight, and Ino can barely breathe, but she can't get herself to pull out. Then, they weep together, and even their cries are in sync.

When Ino can't get herself to cry anymore, she finds that Sakura is in a similar state, only managing to release hiccups from the back of her throat.

Immediately, the blonde feels guilty, and grabs her friend's hands.

"I'm sorry I made you cry," she apologizes sincerely, speech still slurring a bit, before planting a kiss on the back of her rival's palm to merely... _emphasize_ how sorry she is.

"It's okay," Sakura sniffles.

But really, it's not okay, and Ino knows it.

She takes a minute to look at Sakura; _really_ look at her. She analyzes her green eyes, and her pink hair, noting that white really does bring out her best features. Ino swallows, getting this weird feeling in her fingertips that totally has to be from the alcohol, and not from the way her heart is beating madly in her chest.

Then, her eyes linger on the Byakugō seal on the woman's forehead. Ino's one of the few people who had seen first-hand the effort the kunoichi in front of her had to exert in order to gain that tiny seal, much in the manner that Sakura had seen how hard Ino had to practice in order to master her clan techniques.

(It had all paid off, too, because Ino's feats in the war were some of the strongest seen in generations in the Yamanaka clan, and Sakura nearly single-handedly saved so much of the Allied Forces through her healing techniques.)

Ino snarkily and drunkenly thinks that Sakura's forehead really is a huge target, and just to prove her point to herself, she leans in to kiss Sakura's Byakugō seal. Once again the pink-haired woman doesn't react, because it's an innocent gesture from an old friend.

Then, however, Ino's eyes fall to her slender, pale neck. At this point, she knows subconsciously that she's crossing a line, because really, there isn't another reason to kiss her _friend_ three times in a successive row; especially not there, in such an intimate place.

But her thought-process is seriously impaired, because evidently, alcohol can bring out shamefully buried desires that even the Infinite Tsukuyomi couldn't bring to the surface. Also, in this moment, it just feels so right, especially because now that Sasuke is here, she may not get another chance.

(Anyhow, if this turns out badly, she can just pretend that she doesn't remember anything in the morning. Ino's good at pretending. She's been doing it for years, apparently.)

Sakura tenses as Ino kisses her neck. It's only a tender brush of soft lips, but the other woman goes rigid, and Ino can hear her heartbeat go a fast-paced _thump-thump-thump-thump._

"Ino-pig," Sakura says, voice teasing and light—even though it's a little high, indicating anxiety. "I know I have the brute strength of a man, but I'm actually a woman, you know?"

She then laughs nervously, and Ino hums into her neck, before pulling away, and leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Ino, you're drunk," Sakura pushes, trying to give voice to reason.

_That's true,_ Ino agrees, but she doesn't stop as her friend's warm breath bounces on her face. Despite her protests, Sakura hasn't moved.

"You're weak and sad right now."

_True,_ Ino thinks, as her mouth grazes Sakura's cheeks.

"You're confused."

_Not true,_ Ino wants to say, swaying, but then her breath hitches in her throat as she looks at the woman sitting so closely in front of her, and admiration shines in her colored irises. She inhales, smelling cherry blossoms as she realizes that this is not her first time noticing how pretty Sakura is, with her pink hair and green eyes—

Ino leans in to peck her lips, because honestly, it would be really absurd to kiss her everywhere _but_ her lips—

Then, out of nowhere, when the two are centimeters apart, a man named Sasuke waltzes into the room without knocking. Ino freezes, and she proceeds to be vaguely glad that Sakura's back is facing the door, because judging from the unsuspecting look on Sasuke's face, he can't tell how close the two kunoichi in front of him were only seconds ago based on his angle.

"Sakura," he says, tapping his foot impatiently in a rare display of restlessness. "I need to talk to you."

"Sasuke-kun," the woman begins, voice disarmingly calm. "Now's really not the right time."

"It's urgent."

Oddly, Ino doesn't feel any pain at how Sakura is being pulled out from right within her grasp, because part of her always knew that this day would come.

She just hadn't accepted it at the time, but she's a lot older and harder now, and although she doesn't get that kiss she wanted, perhaps it would be better for her to simply stop looking for closure.

It's a thought that hurts, but she knows that it's for the best; not only for Sakura, but for herself, too.

"She'll meet with you in five minutes, Sasuke-kun," Ino interjects, smiling weakly. "Just give us some time."

Sasuke makes this indescribable sound from the back of his throat that she thinks is a grunt, and he quickly scans the blonde's tear-stricken face, before saying to Sakura, "Meet me in front of the lake, near the market center. Be there in five minutes."

He takes another quick glance at Ino from his peripheral vision, nodding her way, before walking out of the room.

"I am _not_ leaving you right now!" Sakura hisses like a feral cat, nose scrunching up in that way it does when she's truly angry, or hurting, or both.

Ino shakes her head, grinning toothily. "Come on," she teases. "It's your first date with Sasuke-kun!"

"Shut it, Pig," Sakura yells furiously.

Ino shakes her head again, deciding to guilt-trip her. "You didn't buy me a birthday present, so in compensation, I want my birthday present to be that you go have a date with Sasuke-kun," she says.

Sakura's face is shameful, probably because she hadn't bought a gift—but then again, it had been because Ino herself had insisted that she use that money on a new dress.

Nonetheless, it's clear that Ino has won, and after a few more trivial protests, eventually, Sakura gets up. She completely re-applies her makeup, because all that crying has completely ruined the original layer. At the same time, she promises Ino that she's going to force her into mandated therapy for grief and trauma.

The blonde nods along, not really listening; she's more interested in the blank space in front of her. Eventually, she just closes her eyes and pretends to go to sleep, just so Sakura would quit her lecturing.

Soon, there's silence. She feels someone gently covering her with a blanket, and Sakura assures in a soft voice that she'll be back soon. Ino has no doubt about it.

Then, the sound of the door opening echoes in the room. In that moment, Sakura is ready to leave to the lake; no, she's ready to leave to Sasuke.

Ino quietly peeks one eye open and watches Sakura's back as the door shuts behind her. A sigh leaves her mouth as she blinks her tears away. She's able to recall her father's words clearly, even in her drunken state:

_"There are certain roles we, as people, have to play; her role is to help a flower blossom, and then give it up to someone else."_

She's helped Sakura blossom into a beautiful flower, and tonight, she finally gives her up. Now that Ino's done playing this role, it's time for her to move on, she decides, because she deserves that much at the very least.

Ino closes her eyes and lets sleep overtake her.

* * *

**Additional Notes:**

✿ I'm not the biggest fan of how the female characters in Naruto all seem to revolve around another character, with the exception of a few. Nonetheless, I tried to use that trope and show how Ino moved on from playing that role during the blank period, and in the end, she was able to grow into her own person.

✿ My intention was not to focus solely on the romance aspect; it's also one about Ino grieving the death of her father due to the harsh shinobi world. We never really got much information on how she dealt with it, which I think is kind of unfair considering how Shikaku's death was explored in great detail.

✿ The one-shot probably felt like Ino and Sakura have some unfinished business—however, that was exactly my intention.

✿ So what happened after the night of the dinner celebrating the clinic? Although it's a very open ending, this is what I set up to happen, since it's canon-compliant:

(Boruto Spoilers) Sakura went to see Sasuke for some unspecified reason at the lake; in Boruto, Ino refers to it as a "date", whereas Sakura refers to it as a two minute conversation. The following day, Ino probably acts like she doesn't remember what happened the night prior, and Sakura probably doesn't push it, instead forcing her friend into therapy. Also, in the morning, Sakura bids goodbye to Sasuke, where he pokes her forehead. Ino moves on, and instead ends up falling in love with Sai during the events of Shikamaru Hiden. Both women eventually marry, giving birth to Sarada and Inojin.

Well, I really appreciate any reviews! Sorry for the long-ass note haha. Thanks for reading :)))


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